Box making and lidding machine



J. H. HALL BOX MAKING AND LIDDING MACHINE Jam. 8, 1929.

Filed Feb. 15. 1927 '4 Sheets-Sheet 2 HEW Ian, 8, 1929.

J. H. HALL Box MAKING AND LIDDING MACHINE Filed Feb. 15, 192

4 Sheets-Sheet 3 abbo n Jan. 8, 1929. 1,698,47

. J. H. HALL BOX MAKING AND LIDDING MACHINE Filed Feb. 15, 1927 4Sheets-Sheet 4 James/l- Hall,

Patented Jan. 8, i929.

nmren srares earner creme JAMES H. HALL, OF TOPPENISI-I, WASHINGTGN,ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO ANDREW O. MOE, vOF TOPPENISH, WASHINGTON. I

BOX MAKING'ANDLIDDING MACHINE;

Application filed February 15, 1927. SerialNo. 16'8,406.'

This invention relates to a box making and lidding machine, andparticularly to a machine for use in assembling the component parts ofboxes and crates in proper position for nailing, and to a machine whichmay be used in applying lids to boxes.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a machine of thischaracter whereby the component parts of a box or crate may be readily,quickly and conveniently assembled.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine whereby, inthe formation of boxes or crates, a wall of which is composed of two ormore battens or boards, such'battens or boards may be fed up intoposit-ion in properly spaced relationship to each other.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a machine havingmeans whereby the elements which form one or more of the walls of thebox may be disposed in stack form and fed from the stacks into properassembly for nailing to form a box or crate of the desired construction.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a machine wherebycleats may be ap plied inproper position to be applied to ,a,

box or crate of a certain type when desired.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a'machine which issimple of construction, efficient in operation, rapid in action andwhich may be manufactured for'use and maintained in working operation atcomparatively small initial and maintenance cost. A still further objectof the invention is to provide a machine having progressively operatingfollowers for feeding the stacks of box end pieces up into workingrelationship for the action of pushers on the advanced end pieces toshift the latter into assembled position, which followers upon thebringing of the final box ends into position to be engaged by'thepushers may be retracted or returned to initial position for-action uponnew stacks of ends.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of thefeatures'of construction, combination and arrangement of parts,hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which l Figure 1 is a top plan view of themachine.

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof.

.Figure 3 is a central vertical fr0nt-to-rear section through themachine.

7 Figure 4 is a front elevation of the'machine.

Figure 5 is a perspective View of thereciprocatory feeder detached fromthe machine.

Figure 6 is a detail vertical section taken longitudinally through oneof the follower racks. v

Figure 7is' a detail view of a portion of the feeder. V v

Figure'S is a viewof one of the cleat racks and feeders, showing theaction of the latter. Figure 9 is a sectional View showing a modifiedconstruction of means for actuating the end board rack followers.

Figure 10 is a section on line 10-10 of Figure 9. I

Figure 11 is a diagrammatic viewof the worm shaft and parts associatedtherewith.

In carrying my invention into practice, I provide a machine of thecharacter described comprising a main frame 1 mounted on supporting legsand consistingof suitably connected and reinforced longitudinal andtrans verse bars and other desired component extending between the tableportion 2 and a front or auxiliary table portion 5 arranged at a lowerlevel than said table portion 2. This table portion 5 may be used as asupport for nailing tools, for partly formed boxes or for reserve stacksof material to be used in forming the walls-of the boxes. This front orauxiliary table is provided with a central depressed portion 6 for apurpose hereinafter described.-

Extending along the'sides of the opening 3. just'below the planeof-thetable 2 are-guide rails 7, below the forward portions of which isarranged across board 7, on which rails is fitted to slide areciprocating feeder 8. This feeder is preferably formed of a pair ofangle metal side bars9,connected at the front by a cross strip 10 and ata suitable point between the center and rear end of the feeder by a U-shaped or bail-shapec'l depending cross-piece 11L The feeder 8 movableforwardlyfrom a retracted position for carrying boards or partsnThisframe carries or includes a main battens 12 from a stackonthe table2 to an walls 4 and between a pair of opposed horizontal front platforms13, provided upon their inner edges with retaining springs 14 or thelike to engage the edges of the battens and hold them in position. Theside bars of the feeder are provided with pairs of gravity projecteddogs 15, which may vary in number of pairs according to the number ofbattens to be engaged and pushed forward, and which are adapted torecede in sliding rearwardly under the stack of battens and to spring upin position in rear of the stack for engagement with bottom battens ofthe stack, whereby the battens may be successively taken from the stackand moved to assembling position. The battens 12 are to be nailed to endboards 16 so as to respectively form the sides, the bottom and the endsof a box or crate. The feeder 8 is adapted to be moved forwardly bydepressing an operating pedal 17 connected by a cord or cable 18 withone pulley member ofa double pulley 19 disposed at a level between thetable 2 and the box support 6, the other pulley member of which doublepulley is connected by a cord or cable 20 with the cross piece 11 0f thefeeder, to which cross piece and a portion of the frame is attached aspring 21 for retracting the feeder when the. pedal is released. Thepurpose of employing the double pulley .19 is to permit said pulley tobe disposed mainly on one side of the center of. the ver tical line ofthe opening 3, for anoffset arrangement of the pedal 17, whilepermitting of a straight line connection of the cord 20 with the centerof the cross piece 11.

Arranged at opposite sides of the frame in rear of the walls 4 and table5 and below the table 2 are racks 22 to receive the, end boards or endpieces 16 of the box or crate to be formed, which are arranged in stackstherein. These racks extend under the table 2 at opposite sides thereofand communicate. at their inner ends with the opposite sides of thevertical space or opening 3 below the table 2 and have arranged thereinfollowers 23 for feeding the stacks inwardly. On the forward or inwardmovements of the followers the ad vanced boards of the stack aredisplaced from the inner ends of the racks 22 and. brought into positionoil-guide rails 24 arranged at the base of the opening 3 and againststop rails 25, thus disposing such advanced end boards in position to beengaged at their rear edges by pushers 2G and moved-forwardiy beneathand beyond the guide board 7 into assembling position. The followers 23are moved forwardly or urged in feeding direction by means of springs 27which extend in parallel relation at their inner ends and are fastenedto the frame at opposite sides of the base of the opening 3, whichsprings keep the boards constantly fed up so that upon the retraction ofthe pushers 26,.after each operation thereof, the succeeding end boardswill be moved into position in front thereof ready to be shifted toassembling position upon the next working movement of the pushers. Thepushers are operated as hereinafter described. The followers may, in ahand operated machine, be moved outwardly or retracted, when it isdesired to put new stacks in position, by means of depressible hand orfoot levers 28 connected to the followers by cords or cables 29 passingaround pulleys 30" on the racks.

in a power type of machine, however, I may employ followers and feedmechanism of the construction shown in Figures 9, 10 and 11. In thisconstruction each follower 2 1 is provided with a half nut 30, the halfnuts of the followers engaging reversely threaded portions of a worm orscrew shaft 31 extending transversely of the frame and journaled inbearings 31 therein. Mounted loosely on the central portionof thisshaft, which provided with a fixed ratchet wheel 32, is a gear wheel 33carrying-dogs or pawls 3 1 to engage said gear wheel. The teeth of thegear wheel mesh with the teeth of a'recip'- rocating, rack bar 35 whichis fastened to the pushers 26, so that when the pushers move rearwardlymotion will be applied to the screw shaft through the pawl and ratchetconnection to move the followers in the properdirection for a feedupaction, while on the forward movement ofthe pushers and of the rackbar the gear wheel will turn idly on the screw shaft by reason of itspawls sliding over the face of the ratchet teethpso that the followerswill remain stationary on such motion of the pushers. The pushers andfollowers are so timed in their working actions as to cause the advancedend pieces to be fed into proper position for subsequent engagement bythe pushers without any interference between them. Thus it will beunderstood that on each forward working movement of the pushers to feedup the end pieces resting on rails 24 and against stops 25, the gear 33will be turned idly by the rack bar 35, during which'time the followers2 1 will be at rest, whileon the retraction of the pushers the rack barwill give a working turn to the gear 33 to give a prescribed movement toshaft 31. This working movement may be a full rotation of gear 33imparting to shaft 31 a full rotation or such rotation as to move eachfollower forward a distance equal to the thickness of an end board to befed up, this feed up motion occurring during the retraction of thepushers. The working power for the action from any suitable source maybe applied to the pushers or rack bar in any desired manner for positiveforward and backward movements in which, if desired, the retractingspring may be dispensed with. v

holders may be swung outwardly to permit of the insertion of a new stackor to permit a stack to be replenished. will thus be held between stopstrips 38 at the front of the posts and the holders against anypossibility of displacement'of the bat tens or shifting of the stack outof position as a result of the movements of the feeder 8,

the stops 3? being notched at their lower ends as at 38", to allow thebottom batten to be fed forward from the stack. The'posts 36 areprovided on their outer sides with guide rails 38 engaged by'suitableanti-fric tion wheels or roller bearings 39 on guide bars 40 carried bya vertically movable presser. This presser consists of a crossbar 41carr ing depending arms 42 provided with angularly bent fingers orclamping members 43 to engage and hold in position the battens 12 fed upto assembly position by the feeder 8. The presser is adapted to beelevated by springs 44 so as to permit the battens 12 to move forwardlyunder the fingers or clamps 43 at proper time periods, and the presseris adapted to be thrown downwardly into clamping position by means of apedal or foot lever 45 coupled to the cross bar of a yoke extension 45,the vertical arms of which are connected with the bars 40 and slidevertically through slots in the table 2 The presser comes into actionafter the end boards are fed up to clamp the previously fed up battens,12 against the upper edges of the end boards. The parts thus assembledmay be tongued and grooved for interlocking engagement as a. result. ofthe feed up and presser actions, or they may be nailed to gether in anysuitable manner in the fed up position or temporarily united forsubsequent nailing by hand or by the action of a. nailing machine. Theends and one side of the body of the box will thus be formed, and thepartly completed box may be removed in this condition and turned overfor the feed of other battens 12 to similarly form the other side andbottom of the box body which may be nailed to the end boards while theparts are hacked and supported by the guide rails 25, pushers and thepresser clamps, as will'be readily understood.

The pushers may be of any suitable construction. They consist as shownin the present instance of rectangular or oblong rectangular blocks ofwood or metal, suitably connected for movement in unison and braced bycross pieces 46. One or more springs47v connected with a cross piece 46and the frame 1 may be provided for retracting the pushers, a foot pedal17 connected to one of the braces The battens 12 sembly position.

46 by cord or cable 47 passing over a guide pulley 47 is providedwhereby the. pushers may be moved forward for a feed action. 7

Arranged at opposite sides of the machine at the front, above and fixedto the platforms 13, are cleat holders,.each consisting of a pair ofupright bars or posts 48 connectedby cross pieces 49, thus providingcleat racks which. are closed at their outer sides to hold the cleats 50and open at their inner sides facing each other. The inner faces of theposts are provided with grooves 51 in which the ends of the cleats arereceived to permit the cleats to freely slide downward, the bottom.cleat of each stack resting on the'underlying platform 13, over whichplatforms the cleats are adapted to slide or feed into as- At theirlower ends the grooves in the posts are notched or cut away to permit ofthe lateral displacement of the lowermost cleat in each stack, and fixedto the platforms in line with the notches are abutment blocks 52 havingbeveled or inclined (cam) surfaces 52. Arms 53 are fastened to the sidesof the pr sser and carry leaf spring feeders 54 havingangular-1y bentlower ends or fingers 55 movable through the notches in said walls toengage the lower cleats, as shown. The springs are rounded or curved atthe juncture of their body portions and bent lower ends to provide camsurfaces for engagement with the cam abutment surface 52 oft-he blocks52, by means of'which the springs are forced inwardly on each downwardmovement of the presser for a cleat displacing or feed action, as willbe readily understood. The cleats, when so supplied, are successivelyfedintoposition to be nailed or otherwise fastened at the ends of the boxin theusual manner, and this .cleat mechanism-may be employed when-'ever it is desired to apply cleats to boxes or crates of certainconstructions.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings,the construction and mode of operation of my improved machine forassembling the parts of boxes or crates will be readily understood, andit will be seen that the invention provides a ma-- chine of thischaracter which is simple of construction, reliable and efiicientinaction, and adapted to be readily and easily operated by manual effortor electric, hydraulic, steam or other suitable power. Itwill also beseen that the invention provides a machine whereby the major box formingparts may be united by tongue and groove connections as they are. fedinto assembled position and the remaining parts, including the cover orlid, nailed or otherwise fastened in position. While the structure shownis preferred, it will, of course, be understood that changes in theform, proportions and arrangement of parts may be made within the scopeof the appended claims, without departing r it 7 vertically movablepressed position to move a cleat edge of the side member.

from the spirit or sacrificing any of the ad,

vantages of the invention. v

The machine may also be employed when desired as a lid applying machine,in which operation, as is required in many cases, the

presser will serve to apply the lid and compress the contents to anydesired degree and to hold the lid while it is being secured in place.In such lid applying operatlons the lid, and contents of the box aresubjected to heavy pressure which bulges the box bottom downward. Thedeportion 6 of the table 5 receives and accommodates the depressed boxbottom in this operation.

Having thus fully described my invention, 1 claim: 7

1 In a box assembling machine having means for arranging pair or endmembers and a side member in position to be seen it together, avertically reciprocating pres \1 element designed to engage said sidemember inwardly oi" opposite edges thereci and means operating in unisonwith said presscr for moving a cleat member to securing position alongeach of said edges.

2. In a box assembling machine having means for arranging a pair of boxend menu 'bers and a side member in position to be secured together, avertically reciprocable bar, a pair of substantially L-shaped membersengaging and pressing upon said side member inwardly of opposite edgesthereof, means for maintaining a supply of cleats/adjacent each of saidedges, and cam operated resilient members movable vertically with and bysaid bar, shiftable horizontally at a predetermined onto the adjacent 3.In a box machine having a vertical stack of box side battens and alaterally directed horizontal stack of edge supported box end members atopposite sides of said vertical stack, means for simultaneously movingan inner member of each horizontal stack and the bottom batten of thevertical'stack to a position assembled for nailing, and means actuatedby and upon reverse movement or said first means for shitting eachhorizontal stac toward the opposite stack a distance substantially equalto the thickness of an end member, substantially as and for the purposeset forthv 4. In a box making machine including a vertical stack of sidebattens and a laterally extending horizontal stack of edge supported boxend members at opposite sides of the verticle stack, individual feedmeans for each stack designed to simultaneously move a member "from eachto a position for nailing, a follower at the'outer end of eachhorizontal stacl .'and means controlled by the feed means for thehorizontal stacks upon their return i'novement "tor actuating thefollowers to shift the horizontal stacks a predetern'iined distance.

5. in a box making machine, means for supporting a vertical stack ofside bat-tens for feeding downwardly, a laterally extending box endmember supporting-rack at opposite sides of and in a plane beneath saidsupporting n cans, a shaft extending longitudinally of and beneath saidracks and threaded from opposite ends inwardly, pusher means operatingacross the inner end oi each rack for removing a member therefrom, meansconing said pusher means with said shaft for rotating the shaft uponreturn of the pusher, and follower elements movable in each rack andoperated upon by said shaft when the same is rotated to i'eed endmembers substantially as described. v

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature.

JAMES ii. HALL.

